Underwaist



(No Model.)

C. P. CLARK.

UnderW-aist.

No. 235,340. Patented De. 14,1880..

www g77/M' N.FEYERS, PHOTO-UTHDGRAFHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

together in front.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CLARA P. CLARK, OF WAKEFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS.

UNDERWAIST.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 235,340, dated December 14, 1880.

Application filed May 5, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CLARA P. CLARK, of Wakefield, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, h'ave invented a new and useful Improvement in Underwaists, of which the following is a specification.

This improvement relates to that class ot' waists which are used as substitutes for corsets, not in connection with corsets; and has for its object the production of a waist which will adj ustably tit the form and conform itself thereto, thus embodying the advantages ot' a corset in a waist without adopting its faults.

In the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference indicate like parts, Figure l is a perspective view of my improved waist. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the same. Fig. 3 shows plans of patterns for cutting the various parts.

The waist is composed of eight pieces and two small gores, each halt' consisting of four pieces, as follows: two front pieces, a side or under-arm piece, and a back piece. The front pieces, a, which are provided with the buttons and button-holes, are cut from the pattern a. The second frontpieces,b, are cut from the pattern b', and are stitched at to the front pieces, a, and at y to the under-arm pieces.

The pieces b, being those which pass over the bosoms, provision is made for fullness at those points by cutting out a portion at c of gradually-increasing width, as shown by c' in the pattern, and sewing the edges together, thus producing the required effect.

d is the under-arm pieces, stitched at y to the second front pieces, and at zto the back pieces, and cut from the pattern d. These under-arm pieces, by means of the peculiar cut shown in the pattern d', extend not only between the front and back pieces, but also over the upper extremities ofthe front pieces, a b, to which they are stitched, and meet and are buttoned They form nearly the entire (No model.)

neck, and connect over the shoulders by means of the extensions e with the back pieces, to which they are adjustably secured by the lacings f.

The back pieces, g, are cut from the pattern g', supplied with suitable gores h, out from the pattern h', and provided with the adjustable lacing k. They are stitched at z to the underarm pieces. In the back pieces rows ot' bones l l are placed next the lacings, and bones m m extend from the lower edge up to two diverging sets of bones n n, which extend to the armholes, over the shoulders, thus bracing the form at those points.

The two under-arm pieces d are cut on a bias, so that they are exceedingly elastic both vertically and horizontally, conforming readily to the shape of the wearer, as both a horizontal and a vertical strain is thus at an angle with the direction of both the warp and woot of the fabric.

The extension or shoulder piece e, made adjustable, as shown, greatly assists the tit of the waist, and renders more eflicient the bracing-bones n in the back piece, and the slit front piece, b, enables the form to be litted to very efficiently.

Having thus fully described my invention. what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In an underwaist, the combination, with the back and front pieces, g b a, of the underarm piece d, cut in the form of the pattern d', substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. In an underwaist, the combination, with the front piece, a, and a side or under-arm piece, d, of the second front piece, b, slit at c and cut in the form of the pattern b c', slibstantially as and for the purpose specified.

CLARA P. CLARK.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, GEORGE V. MALLoN.

l l l l 

